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Milton Keynes and Northampton

Campaigners against HS2 will be at Northampton station tomorrow, from 3.30 – 6.30 to provide the other side of the argument about HS2. This is being organised by SNAG (the South Northants Action Group).

Please go support them.

We had a good response from travellers at Milton Keynes on Friday. Several people had assumed that Milton Keynes was getting a station. However we were able to explain that HS2 Ltd decided against putting a station near Milton Keynes because too many commuters would use it.

6-8 years spent rebuilding Euston Putting in the extra HS2 platforms would mean rebuilding Euston, moving all the platforms round and changing the configuration of the tracks outside the station.

Fewer fast long-distance trains from Milton Keynes HS2 Ltd say that after HS2 is built there will not be many Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main Line. Milton Keynes currently benefits from long-distance services, like the hourly Virgin train to Manchester, which takes just 1 hour 38 minutes. Services like this will transfer onto the new line and Milton Keynes will miss out.

No high speed rail station for Milton Keynes HS2 Ltd thought about putting a high speed station near Milton Keynes, and decided not to – because too many people would use it.

Slower commuter services In Kent, many commuters on traditional lines have slower journeys now then before HS1 was built. Their fares are going up more then elsewhere – to pay for high speed services which they don’t use.

More upgrades to the West Coast Main Line Several organisations , including Centro, Virgin Trains and Birmingham Airport, which want HS2 built, are saying that we also need more works on the WCML as well.

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If Gary is right, surely it would be the first time a load of houses have had to be knocked down just to jazz up a station. Oh yes and they would have to demolish some of the small retailers premises! Strange concept of strong growth! I guess you don’t live near Euston then Gary.

Yeah……and where does it say ” move all the platforms around ” and ” re configure the tracks ” ?

Euston has valuable ” air rights ” which Network Rail are keen to exploit, bearing in mind that retailers are seeing strong growth at the managed stations. As it stands, Euston will be getting a development anyway, just like New Street, Kings Cross and Waverley. So what your potraying is in fact what has been generally happening or is about to at all the other 17 managed stations. And of course this is done with minimal disturbance……

Gary, that was a one sentence summary of several pages from the consultation document, not a direct quote.

If HS2 goes ahead, then the redevelopment of Euston won’t juat be cosmetic, they will have to add a number of new tracks and platforms to it. Read the consultation documents if you want the full details.

Yes I know……it would be an extension to the current set up……a bit like building an kitchen extension on your house, you can still go on living in it . But as I said, all Network Rail stations have either had, or are going to , get some renewal treatment. In all honesty, its bau…..

6-8 years spent rebuilding Euston Putting in the extra HS2 platforms would mean rebuilding Euston, moving all the platforms round and changing the configuration of the tracks outside the station.

Why would all the platforms need moving around? And why would all the track need re configuring?? The detailed map CLEARLY shows that HS2 will in effect have its own station at Euston and lines will be separate from the existing WCML.

The Consultation documents tell you why the platforms have to be moved round. There’s more info on p82 of the main HS2 Consultation document, as well as in the leaflet on Euston handed out at the roadshows.

Fewer fast long-distance trains from Milton Keynes HS2 Ltd say that after HS2 is built there will not be many Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main Line. Milton Keynes currently benefits from long-distance services, like the hourly Virgin train to Manchester, which takes just 1 hour 38 minutes. Services like this will transfer onto the new line and Milton Keynes will miss out.

There wont be any Pendolinos at all…….because they will have been retired by the time HS2 is complete. And of course passengers can still travel to Manchester from Milton Keynes on the current WCML when HS2 is built so they wont actually be missing out on anything. The major flow from MK is to Euston, and they are getting twice as many trains as they do now. Interestingly , Network Rail HQ is actually moving to Milton Keynes next year on the site where the hockey stadium was. The current satellite sites around the UK are being closed in lieu of this…

Gary, The trains being moved off the route through Milton Keynes would be the ones that currently run through non-stop. MK would retain services to Manchester, Chester, and Birmingham / Wolverhampton as now, and gain direct services to Scotland. How you can portray this as MK losing out defeats logic. It is all in the documents published by HS2 – it isn’t a secret.

Stop HS2 has already made it clear what we think of that suggested timetable – http://stophs2.org/news/1381-greengauges-fantasy-timetable – it’s an unrealistic fantasy. The situation for travellors in Milton Keynes is much more likely to be similar to people in Kent: if you don’t have a high speed station, the service is worse.